Gun sight



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cum SIGHT Filed May 1, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I2 I /9 7 IN VEN TOR. PAN/)Y/OT/S B/IC'OUEOS DU l/AEEY,

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Dec. 10, 1957 P. B. DU VARRY GUN SIGHT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 1, 1956 FIG. 5.

IN V EN TOR. PANA Y/OT/S 54600805 00 1 438),

United States Patent GUN SIGHT Panayiotis Bacouros Du Varry, Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela Application May 1, 1956, Serial No. 581,893

2 Claims. (Cl. 33-47) This invention relates to gun sights, and more particulady to illuminated sights for rifles and similar firearms.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved illuminated means for facilitating the alignment of the front rear sights of a firearm with a target under conditions of darkness or low illumination, the means of the present invention involving relatively simple components, being easy to install on a firearm, and enabling a person to properly aim the firearm under adverse lighting conditions, such as in darkness or under conditions wherein the available light is poor.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved illuminated means for assisting a person aiming a firearm in proper y aligning the front and rear sights of the firearm with a desired target, the improved illuminating means being inexpensive to produce, being durable in construction, being compact in size, and being light in weight.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved self-illuminated means adapted to be mounted on a rifle or similar firearm adjacent one of the sights thereof or forming a part of one of the sights of the firearm, the means being adapted to facilitate the instantaneous alignment of the front and rear sights of the firearm with a desired target under poor lighting conditions, the improved self-illuminated alignment means being readily adjustable to compensate for adjustment of the firearm sights, and being arranged so that it may be normally folded against the body of the firearm or against the portion of the firearm sight assembly on which it is mounted, so as to be in an unobstructing position when its use is not required.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a rifle provided with an improved self-illuminated alignment means according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of a rifle similar to that shown in Figure 1, wherein the rear sight is in a different position of elevation with respect to the front sight and wherein the self-illuminated alignment means is in a different position of angular adjustment corresponding to the different position of the rear sight.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of a firearm provided with a modified form of self-illuminated alignment means according to the present invention.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the rear sight of the firearm of Figure 3, showing the self-illuminated alignment means of the present invention mounted thereon in operative position.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional detail view taken on the line 66 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a horizontal cross sectional detail view taken on the line 77 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view 2,815,574 Patented Dec. 10, 1957 "ice taken through the forward portion of the barrel of a firearm and showing a front sight mounted thereon, said front sight being constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 9 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Figure 8.

Referring to the drawings, 11 designates a rifle provided with a conventional front sight 12, said front sight being mounted on the forward end portion of the rifle barrel 13. Mounted on the rear portion of the rifle barrel 13 is a conventional rear sight assembly 14, said assembly being provided with the adjustable gate element 15. The gate element 15 is adjusted vertically with respect to the front sight 12 in accordance with differences in range, whereby different trajectory angles are required. Thus, in Figure 1 the gate element 15 of the rear sight assembly is adjusted to a position corresponding to short range, whereas in Figure 2, the rear sight gate element 15 is elevated to a position corresponding to long range use of the rifle.

As is well understood, in aiming the firearm, it is necessary to align the front and rear sights of the firearm with the target, whereby the target lies substantially on the same line with the front sight 12 and the usual notch in the rear sight gate element 15, this being accomplished by visual observation from an aiming point 17 located rearwardly of the rear sight assembly 14. For a given rifle, this aiming point 17 is a specific distance rearwardly of the rear sight assembly 14, although ordinarily it cannot be precisely found until the front sight 12 is aligned with the notch in the rear sight gate element 15 and with the intended target. Thus, under ordinary conditions, the aiming point 17 can be readily found, since the front sight 12 is easily viewed. However, under conditions of darkness, or poor illumination, the front sight 12 may not be easily visible, and therefore aiming the firearm becomes a difficult problem.

In accordance with the present invention, means is provided to project a beam of light in a direction to intersect with the line of sight passing through the front and rear sights at substantially the aiming point 17. In Figures 1 and 2, this means comprises a triangular prism 18 which is mounted on the rifle rearwardly of the rear sight assembly 14 and below the line of sight, shown at 19, the prism 18 projecting laterally of the firearm on an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of the firearm, as viewed in Figure 1, namely, on a substantially horizontal axis. The triangular prism 18 is suitably mounted so as to be rotatably adjustable around said horizontal axis, in accordance with the above described vertical adjustments of the rear sight gate element 15, for the different ranges for which the firearm is to be used. As will be presently explained, the prism is inscribed on its bottom surface with a line of luminescent material which is reflected internally from the forward face of the prism through the upper rear face thereof, the prism being relatively small in size, and said upper face being relatively small in area, whereby the light from the luminescent line emerges as a relatively narrow beam and intersects the line of sight 19 substantially at the aiming point 17. As will be readily apparent from Figures 1 and 2, the prism 18 is mounted on the firearm in a position so that it may be simultaneously viewed with the rear sight assembly 14, the prism being oriented so that the aiming point 17 will be located when the user of the firearm simultaneously views the notch in the gate of the rear sight and the beam of light from the prism 18. When the users eye is at the aiming point 17, the eye will be on the line of sight 19, and all that is necessary is for the line of sight to be directed to the intended target. Therefore, it is merely necessary for the target to appear in the notch of the rear sight gate element 15 with the users eye at the aiming point 17, there 3 being no necessity of employing the front sight 12 to establish the line of sight 19.

Referring now to the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 3 to 7, the rear sight assembly 14 comprises a substantially horizontal, longitudinally extending plate element 20 and the respective longitudinal vertical side walls 21 and 22 rising from the opposite longitudinal sides of the plate element 20. The top edges of the longitudinal wall elements 21 and 22 are formed with the usual range adjustment steps 23 which are engageable by the adjustable gate member in accordance with the desired range of the firearm. The gate member 15 is formed with suitable recesses in its lower corner portions lockingly interengageable with the respective steps 23, this structure being conventional and being well known in the art, whereby the gate member 15 may be set at the required elevation with respect to the firearm barrel corresponding to the desired range of the firearm. The gate member 15 is provided with the sighting notch 24 in its top edge, said notch being employed to establish the line of sight, in conjunction with the firearm front sight, or in conjunction with the self-illuminated aligning means of the present invention, presently to be described.

Secured to the vertical wall 22 is a plate member 25 formed with the top and bottom parallel lugs 26, 26 between which is pivoted a block member 27. The block member 27 has one square inner corner 28 and a rounded inner corner 29, whereby the block member 27 may be rotated counterclockwise from the position thereof shown in Figure 7 to a position adjacent and parallel to the plate member 25, when so desired. A leaf spring 30 is secured to the plate member 25 and has an offset portion extending parallel to said plate member, cooperating with the corner portion 28 of the block member 27, to limit the outward rotation of the block member to the position thereof shown in Figure 7, and being yieldable to allow the block member 27 to be at times folded to the inoperative position thereof adjacent to and parallel to the plate member 25, above described.

Block member 27 is formed with a transverse bore 31 in which is rotatably mounted a shank 32 integrally connected at its outer end to a supporting block 33. Designated at 34 is a relatively small, elongated triangular prism which is suitable secured at one end thereof to the block 33 and which has secured to its outer end a circular knob 35 which may be employed to rotate the prism 34 around an axis parallel to and located within the respective faces of the prism. The prism has the bottom face 36. the forward face 37, and the rear face 38, as shown in Figure 6. In the specific arrangement shown in Figures 6 and 7, the axis of rotation of the prism 34 is contained in and comprises the median line of the front face 37 of the prism.

As illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, the axis of rotation of the prism 34 is identical with that of the shank 32 and extends perpendicular to the plate member 25, whereby the axis of rotation of the prism is horizontal when the walls 21 and 22 are vertical, and whereby the prism may be rotated in accordance with the adjusted position of the rear sight gate member 15. The prism is releasably secured in adjusted position by a ball detent 39 which is lockingly engageable with a selected ball recess 40 provided in the shank 32, as shown in Figure 7, the ball detent 39 being urged toward the shank 32 by a coiled spring 41 acting between the ball 39 and a screw plug 42 in block 27, as shown.

The bottom face 36 of the prism is inscribed with a relatively narrow line of luminescent material 43, such as, for example, radium paint, or the like, which extends parallel to the longitudinal corners of the prism and which is located at the intermediate portion of the face 36, so that it acts as a light source and produces a beam which is reflected internally from the forward face 37 of the prism and which emerges from the rear face 38 thereof. Since the prism is relatively short, and since the rear face 38 thereof is of relatively small width, the beam emerging from the prism is relatively narrow and can be projected so as to intersect with the line of sight 19 at the desired aiming point.

As above explained in connection with the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the prism is arranged so that it can be viewed simultaneously with the notch 24 in the rear sight gate element 15, and the aiming point may be located by simultaneously viewing notch 24 and the beam from the self-illuminated prism 34, with the prism in its laterally extending position, shown in Figure 5. Thus, when the target is viewed in the notch 24 with the rifle held so that the beam of light from the prism strikes the marksmans eye, the rifle is properly aligned with the target, and it is not necessary to rely upon the front sight as the means for obtaining the required alignment.

As an alternative to the use of the self-illuminated prism, above described, the front sight of the firearm may be self-illuminated. Thus, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the front sight, designated at 12', comprises a shank 44 which is threadedly engaged in the forward end portion of the rifle barrel 13 and which is formed with the skirt portion 45, on which is integrally formed a hemispherical segment 46, of any suitable material. Thus, the segment 46 may comprise a hemisphere of plastic material secured on the skirt member 45 with its fiat face 47 perpendicular to the axis of the rifle barrel 13 and facing rearwardly, as shown in Figure 9. The flat face 47 of the hemispherical member 46 is coated with a layer of luminescent material 48, such as radium paint, or the like, and a hemispherical segment 49 of clear plastic material is cemented thereon. The juxtaposed segments 46 and 49 are then covered with a coating of opaque material 50, and a small surface 51 thereof is removed, the exposed surface 51 facing rearwardly, as shown in Figure 9, whereby light from the luminescent material 48 will be projected rearwardly along an axis parallel to the rifle barrel 13, namely, along a line which will substantially contain the notch element of the rear sight of the rifle. Thus, in aiming the rifle, the front sight can be readily located because of its self-illuminating properties, since light therefrom will travel toward the rear sight and will be readily observed by the person aiming the rifle when he looks forwardly through the notch in the rear sight.

While certain specific embodiments of an improved means for facilitating the aiming of a firearm in darkness or under conditions of poor illumination have been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a firearm, a front sight, a vertically adjustable rear sight aligned with said front sight, a relatively small triangular prism positioned on said firearm adjacent said rear sight and connected to said firearm for movement to a position projecting laterally from the firearm so as to be viewed simultaneously with said rear sight when aiming the firearm, said prism having a forward face, a bottom face, and a rear face, and being movably adjustable around an axis parallel to the edges of the prism, and a,line gf,luminescentdnscribedon thehbgttpm face and beirilg arranged so that light therefrom will bereflected internally from the forward face of the prism and will emerge through the rear face, said prism being formed and arranged to project a beam of light from said line of luminescent material emerging from said rear face rearwardly in a direction to intersect with the line of sight passing through said front and rear sights at an aiming point spaced rearwardly adjacent said rear sight.

2. In a firearm, a front sight, a vertically adjustable rear sight aligned with said front sight, a relatively small triangular prism, bracket means hingedly connecting said prism to the firearm adjacent said rear sight for rotation to a position projecting laterally from the firearm so as to be viewed simultaneously with said rear sight from an aiming point located rearwardly of the rear sight on a line passing through the front and rear sights, said prism having a forward face, a bottom face and a rear face, means rotatably adjusting said prism around an axis parallel to the corners of the prism, and a line of luminescent material inscribed on the bottom face and being arranged so that light therefrom will be reflected internally from said front face and will emerge from said rear face, 'said prism being formed and arranged to project a beam of light from said line of luminescent material emerging from said rear face rearwardly in a direction to intersect the line of sight containing the front and rear sights at said aiming point.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,346,303 Dawson et a1. July 13, 1920 2,181,081 Ganaway Nov. 12, 1939 2,246,174 Howells June 17, 1941 2,596,522 Bethke May 13, 1952 2,706,335 Munsey Apr. 19, 1955 

